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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Just finished rereading this after about 15 years. I'm not crazy about the sexist message about women. The book tries to turn the message into a positive, but the original message is still there. There is a lot of great quotes from this novel. Great characters are introduced. The book keeps your attention throughout. I'm only giving it four stars because of the sexist stuff. It's still one of my favorites of the series.
This was a really good sequel and I enjoyed that twist in the end!
I really don’t know how to rate this because I’m reading it as an adult. I admire the creativity.
There is gender and binary images and symbolism. An army of Oz’s girls rise up together as an army to take over The Emerald City, and the boy protagonist is magically transformed into a Princess. I honestly don’t know if Baum was ahead of his time and is exploring queer issues or he was just telling a story.
There is also a very visually arresting scene reminiscent of the poppy field. In this instance, it is a field of sunflowers, and every flower has a face in the center and it’s watching our heroes. It would be something to see cinematically.
There is gender and binary images and symbolism. An army of Oz’s girls rise up together as an army to take over The Emerald City, and the boy protagonist is magically transformed into a Princess. I honestly don’t know if Baum was ahead of his time and is exploring queer issues or he was just telling a story.
There is also a very visually arresting scene reminiscent of the poppy field. In this instance, it is a field of sunflowers, and every flower has a face in the center and it’s watching our heroes. It would be something to see cinematically.
Alright. Somehow not quite as charming as the first one, and the depiction of the female characters got a little grating.
L. Frank Baum is an author I have read many times since I first discovered him in second grade. I find that his books stand up to the test of time and they are books that I enjoy re-reading. Some of them are stronger than others but as a whole I quite enjoy both the stories and characters.
This was an enchanting quick read between books. I loved the first Wizard of OZ book, but I do believe that the second book, “Land of OZ” may be better! It was written the same as the first one, but definitely had a sexism message to it. I loved the creatures and dialouge involved. My favorite character was definitely H.M. Wogglebug T.E., and the Gump. If you enjoyed the first OZ book, then this one is a must read!!
adventurous
Another road-trip formula, with odd creatures going to Emerald City, and then escaping the Emerald City to find Glinda because the EC has been overrun. By girls.
And that's where my feelings get complicated. General JinJur is sick of men running everything and women doing all the housework, so she amasses an army of girls and storms the Emerald City. Under her direction, they overthrow the Scarecrow (who, as we recall from the first book, was left in charge after the Wizard's departure) and free the women from their domestic drudgery. Suddenly the women can sit around and gossip while the men cook, clean, and care for the children. Yay feminism! But the army that storms the Emerald City does so with knitting needles (because girls) and for the purpose of taking the emeralds from the sidewalks, steps, and other architecture (because pretty baubles). Once the army is run back out of Emerald City, the women go back to the domestic duties because they were all tired of eating the men's cooking.
Uh.
However (and here be spoilers) the mission to track down the witch Mombi to find out where she's hidden Princess Ozma (the rightful heir to the Emerald City throne) ends with the discovery that Tip, the boy leading the whole adventure, is actually Ozma enchanted to look like a boy. I'd have loved to have followed up on this a bit, but themes of transgenderism weren't really prevalent in 1904 when the book was written. To its credit, Tip is never presented as effeminate in any way, and his discovery that he's actually a girl is strange and baffling to him.
My issues with this are really stemming from a far more socially-aware time than the one in which it was written, and the child and I had some good conversations about sexism while reading, so there's that. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable book, funny and full of adventure, though Baum's inability to just SAY anything (he interjected, he questioned, he returned, he said adverbially) did grate on the reading-aloud nerves.
And that's where my feelings get complicated. General JinJur is sick of men running everything and women doing all the housework, so she amasses an army of girls and storms the Emerald City. Under her direction, they overthrow the Scarecrow (who, as we recall from the first book, was left in charge after the Wizard's departure) and free the women from their domestic drudgery. Suddenly the women can sit around and gossip while the men cook, clean, and care for the children. Yay feminism! But the army that storms the Emerald City does so with knitting needles (because girls) and for the purpose of taking the emeralds from the sidewalks, steps, and other architecture (because pretty baubles). Once the army is run back out of Emerald City, the women go back to the domestic duties because they were all tired of eating the men's cooking.
Uh.
However (and here be spoilers) the mission to track down the witch Mombi to find out where she's hidden Princess Ozma (the rightful heir to the Emerald City throne) ends with the discovery that Tip, the boy leading the whole adventure, is actually Ozma enchanted to look like a boy. I'd have loved to have followed up on this a bit, but themes of transgenderism weren't really prevalent in 1904 when the book was written. To its credit, Tip is never presented as effeminate in any way, and his discovery that he's actually a girl is strange and baffling to him.
My issues with this are really stemming from a far more socially-aware time than the one in which it was written, and the child and I had some good conversations about sexism while reading, so there's that. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable book, funny and full of adventure, though Baum's inability to just SAY anything (he interjected, he questioned, he returned, he said adverbially) did grate on the reading-aloud nerves.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
L. Frank Baum didn't even know he said "trans rights" with this book but Ozma ilu.
This book is also misogynist though the villains are definitely making fun of the suffragettes.
This book is also misogynist though the villains are definitely making fun of the suffragettes.
Check out the full review on my blog! http://fantasticbookswheretofindthem.weebly.com/q-t/the-land-of-oz-by-l-frank-baum-oz-2
My second Baum book and it was just as great as the first one. Baum is great at writing cute adventure stories with very likeable and funny characters. Loved this story. :) (also this was my first ever e book I ever read)
My second Baum book and it was just as great as the first one. Baum is great at writing cute adventure stories with very likeable and funny characters. Loved this story. :) (also this was my first ever e book I ever read)